Moderate consumption of alcohol may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study. Women who regularly consume more than three alcoholic drinks a week for at least 10 years have about half the risk of developing arthritis compared with non-drinkers, according to a study of 34,141 Swedish women by the Stockholm-based Karolinska Institute. The reduced risk was consistent whether the participants drank beer, wine or liquor